Very nice! As i just passed mine in the fall, i definitely know how you feel. Well done! Take a well deserved rest.

And for those that don’t know, a general exam is typically (different programs and schools differ) a multi-hour (we’re talking 4-6) oral exam between the candidate (Jen) and the several professors that make up her committee. Just them in a room, answering questions for hours. This is also usually prefaced by writing an independent proposal which is quite an ordeal in itself. So, yeah, quite the ordeal. But it’s over!

Yes, you should celebrate now! Because from tomorrow morning onwards, we expect you to be dutifully planning and rehearsing your strategy for the snake fight portion of the thesis defense. I hear preparation for this often takes longer the writing the actual thesis itself.

Congrats, luckily in the UK we don’t need to do anything similar, closest is our MPhil transfer Viva, which is “just” defending our work so far to see if our research is likely to result in a Phd after further study(that is for those who don’t start on a Phd programme from the outset)

My humble self didn’t have to do a “general exam” for my PhD either. Here in Germany, I simply started writing my thesis after I got my M.A., finished it in some three years, and then had go give talk and discussion, which is called “disputatio”. That was it (apart from paying for the printing costs, obviously)

Nele

P.S. Is the hat really for real? You get a military style general’s hat and not a mortar-board?

Somewhat Incorrect. There have been a number of Five-star holders beyond those you cite:

Navy:

William Leahy
Ernest King
Chester Nimits
William Halsey

Pershing’s rank is a bit of a grey area, as it was never really solidified in terms of star count, and the title itself was largely ceremonial as a reward for his service in WWI. Pershing himself only wore four stars, but gold, not silver, something unique as far as I can tell.

Had the invasion of japan proceeded as planned, MacArthur would have been a Six-Star general. There was a movement in the 50s to do this anyway, but it would have caused more problems than it was worth, and so MacArthur declined the promotion.

Washington’s posthumous promotion was more of a “so no one will ever outrank him” thing.

Technically, Adm. Dewey was a Six Star admiral, being the only person ever promoted to that rank within the Navy.

The entire “superrank” area is kind of neat reading overall.

Oh, and of course, Congrats Jen!

You should really go with the Napolean hat and sash. much cooler overall.